They continued up the stairs, trying to keep a steady pace. Ken's muscles burned and his body still ached all over. But the further they traveled, the more hope shined in his heart.
'I'm getting out of here…' He thought.
After being in the pits of despair for god knows how long, the prospect of returning back to his life filled him with joy.
All the problems he was having before seemed trivial in this moment, after experiencing what could only be described as hell. Who cared if he was being bashed by the media? At least he was still alive and not suffering.
He vowed inwardly to live his life properly, not caring about what such people thought in the future.
"We're almost there." Shin said, turning to the others.
However, in the next moment everyone froze after hearing the sound of a door open behind them.
"That damn bastard gave me a pack of menthol, he knows I hate that minty stuff." A voice complained, the sound of his footfalls growing quieter.
Both Tetsu and Shin looked at each other briefly, as if understanding their situation.
"The moment he opens the door, we run." Shin whispered.
It didn't take long for both Ken and Katsuya to understand. Once the figure saw the dead bodies of the two gangsters, the whole place would be swarming with enemies.
Ken felt his heart begin to beat loudly in his chest, worsening his throbbing pain. However, he could feel his body heat up as the adrenaline began to kick in.
Click~
A soft sound echoed through the stairwell, acting like a starting gun at a track and field event.
Instantly, the group made their break, ascending the last two sets of stairs and bursting through the door. They didn't bother checking if anything was on the other side since they had no time to do so.
Both Tetsu and Shin led the two teens into the lobby and to the door where Tetsu had entered before. No one stopped them as they filtered out the door in quick succession.
The moment Ken's lungs breathed in the fresh night air, he almost felt reborn. But there was no time to revel in the feeling as he tried to keep up with the two in front of him.
'Two?'
Ken turned his head, only to see Katsuya's figure splayed out on the ground as if he'd tripped.
"Damn it." He cursed under his breath.
Without hesitation, he turned on his heel and used all of his strength to hoist the teen up and back onto his feet. It sent shockwaves of pain through his body, but he grit his teeth and pushed through.
Katsuya was half-conscious, resulting in him putting majority of his bodyweight onto Ken. He tried to move forward, but it was too much weight to carry for his beaten up body.
All of a sudden, the weight lightened considerably, causing a bout of confusion. He turned his head only to see Shin staring back at him, wearing a grateful expression.
"Hurry up ya bastards." Tetsu urged, joining them a moment later.
With the added help from the two grown men, everyone was able to make it to the street where a black van awaited.
Ken saw his father get out of the van and felt his heart fill with warmth.
"Pineapple!"
"Crap."
BANG BANG BANG
The sound of gunfire rang out in the street, causing everyone to duck in response.
"GET IN THE VAN!" Tomoya roared out, producing an automatic rifle of his own.
BANG BANG BANG
The street was lit up with the flashes from the bullets being fired, creating a chaotic and dangerous atmosphere.
The group of Ken, Tetsu, Shin and Katsuya managed to make it into the van before it sped off wildly. Tomoya was still sending out bullets from the passenger seat, doing his best to keep the enemies at bay.
Only when they had traveled a significant distance away did they finally breathe a sigh of relief.
As soon as he was able, Tomoya crawled through the space in the front and into the back of the van. He laid his eyes onto his son and couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over him.
He moved forward and embraced his son, tears forming in his eyes.
"I was so worried…" He said, holding him tightly.
Meanwhile, Ken was also in the middle of his reunion with his own father. He seemed to be in better shape than Katsuya, at least for now.
With the adrenaline now fading, he finally lost the ability to stand.
"Ken!"
Seeing his son drop to the floor, Chris's anxiety peaked. He quickly got on his knees and checked on him, almost falling over thanks to being in the back of a moving van.
"I'm okay dad… Just very tired, and sore." He said, trying to smile.
"Mmm, get some rest. You're safe now." Chris said, breathing a sigh of relief.
However, in addition to his relief, Chris was also filled with a seething anger that threatened to overcome him. The man who had orchestrated all this was still at large.
'I will not rest while he's still alive.' He vowed inwardly.
There was no way that he could forgive someone who had toyed with his life like this. First it was his job, then Daichi's biological mother and now his own son.
Even a saint has a bottom line.
Chris turned to Tetsu, placing his hand on the man's shoulder.
"Thank you Tetsu… I don't know how I can repay you." Chris said, his voice filled with emotions.
Tetsu nodded, "Don't worry 'bout it. As long as he treats my girl right, it's payment enough."
With the captors rescued, the van returned to a street in Tokyo. It wasn't the same headquarters they were at before, but another base of operations to avoid retaliation from the Hokori family.
Chris was a little concerned since he hadn't been told, but upon seeing Daichi, Miho and Ai, he nodded in appreciation.
What seemed like a long night was not yet over, at least in Chris's mind.